Iain, loading up the essential All Terrain Equipment and Prop Transport System (aka Wheelbarrow)

What’s not to like about another day shooting on location in the beautiful Lake District with Fibre Co team..? This time we were shooting a very elegant collection from designer Michiyo, modelled by the very elegant Asahi, who I shot with at almost exactly this location, almost exactly a year ago. The slight catch was that we were shooting, as ever, out of season.. so today, on a cold, damp grey, Cumbrian December day, we were shooting a Spring collection in the new yarn called ‘Meadow’. The last time we shot here in December we were facing storm force winds, at least this time it was relatively calm. And it wasn’t raining (yet).

As with our previous shoot, the big problem shooting out of season is that’s really is very bloody cold. Particularly if you’re the model. Getting the shot as fast possible really becomes priority.

The other big problem is light. If I was shooting on a real summer day, I’d spend a lot of my time worrying about how to make artificial soft fill light look natural against harsh sunlight. As it is, in Cumbria in December, I have the opposite problem; on a dull overcast day there is actually beautifully soft ambient fill light everywhere… What we’re lacking is that hard, defined beam of sunlight that gives us look of summer. Which is where the artificial light come in. And a really big, hugely over-specified, all-terrain light stand that has proven itself time and again to be one of the most useful pieces of kit that I’ve ever owned.

All of the shots below make use of real soft ambient light, all of the bright sunlight is entirely fictional. I must say, I’m pretty pleased with my lighting on this shoot.

The Collection:

Kinomi, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kinomi, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kinomi, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kagerou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kagerou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kagerou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kagerou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Kagerou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Rourou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Rourou, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Tsumuzikaze, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Tsumuzikaze, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Mori, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin

Funny, with a strong enough backlight, even rain drops can look summery… Mori, Designed by michiyo for The Fibre Company. Photo: Tommy Martin